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Voykit pocket guide · Philippines
Valencia
Valencia, Bukidnon
Treat Valencia as a day stop or one-night break on the Sayre Highway, not a destination: Lake Apo is the reason to get off the bus. Two nights only if you add Kasanaya Cave.
Valencia is Bukidnon's provincial capital and commercial centre, landlocked at about 300 m above sea level on the Sayre Highway between Cagayan de Oro and Davao. It reads as a provincial town with a mall, banks and tricycle traffic rather than a resort. Travellers use it for Lake Apo, a cool overnight between bus legs, and as a quieter base than Malaybalay. Two nights covers it; one night is enough if you only want the lake.
- Country
- Philippines
- Local name
- Valencia, Bukidnon
- Best months
- Dec–May (check — dry-season window; local rainfall varies)
- Avoid
- check — the wetter months, roughly Jun–Nov; no local typhoon record confirmed
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- PHP
- Money
- Philippine pesos (₱) in small notes for jeepneys, market stalls, tips and taxis; malls and hotels take cards.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₱1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₱2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₱3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Globe and Smart sell SIMs at airports; SIM registration with passport is required by law.
- Emergency
- National emergency 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B, C · 220 V · 60 Hz · US flat pins common; check your devices for 220 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10% if no service charge.; Grab / taxi: Round up.; Boat crew: ₱100–200 per tour.; Massage: ₱50–100.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap; refill stations cheap.
- Toilets
- Called 'CR' (comfort room); bring tissue; many lack toilet seats.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tricycle ride in town | ₱8–12 |
| Coffee or a soft drink | ₱40–120 |
| Local meal (carenderia or mall food court) | ₱80–200 |
| Beer: bottle at a store / in a bar | ₱60–90 / ₱100–180 |
| Internet café, per hour | from ₱10 |
| Bus Valencia → Cagayan de Oro | ₱120 non-AC / ₱200 AC |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CGY · Laguindingan Airport (Cagayan de Oro)
- check — the usual air gateway for Bukidnon; bus from Cagayan de Oro to Valencia, 3–4 h (check). Valencia has no commercial airport.
- DVO · Francisco Bangoy International (Davao)
- Bus from Davao, 5–6 h. Longer and rougher than the CGY route.
Typical fares
- Tricycle in town
- ₱8–12
- Bus Valencia → Cagayan de Oro
- ₱120 non-AC / ₱200 AC, 3–4 h
- Bus Valencia → Davao
- ₱345, 5–6 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Tricycles are the transport: ₱8–12 per ride in town. The integrated bus terminal on Sayre Highway is walking distance from the poblacion, or one tricycle ride. For Lake Apo, 11 km (6.8 mi) out, hire a tricycle or a van for the round trip and agree the waiting time and total price before you leave.Tricycles are the transport: ₱8–12 per ride in town. The integrated bus terminal on Sayre Highway is walking distance from the poblacion, or one tricycle ride. For Lake Apo, 6.8 mi (11 km) out, hire a tricycle or a van for the round trip and agree the waiting time and total price before you leave.
See and do
Known for
- Lake Apo
- Bukidnon highland air
- Sayre Highway bus stop
- Kasanaya Cave
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Apo | Tricycle or hired van, 11 km (6.8 mi) from townTricycle or hired van, 6.8 mi (11 km) from town | About 30–45 min each way |
| Kasanaya Cave (San Vicente) | Tricycle or van, then a local guide | Half a day |
| Malaybalay | Bus along the Sayre Highway | check — about 1–1.5 h by bus |
| Cagayan de Oro | Rural Transit or Super Five bus from the integrated terminal | 3–4 h |
Sleep
- Poblacion (downtown)
- Walkable core: banks, Robinsons supermarket, Gaisano, cheap inns on Manangkila Street. Best for one night with a bus the next morning.
- Sayre Highway near the bus terminal
- Robinsons mall and the integrated terminal next door; GV Hotel on the national highway. Best if you arrive late or leave early.
- Lake Apo side
- Rural stays and day-use cottages around the lake, 11 km (6.8 mi) out. Quieter, but you need a tricycle or a hired vehicle for everything.Rural stays and day-use cottages around the lake, 6.8 mi (11 km) out. Quieter, but you need a tricycle or a hired vehicle for everything.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Salamatsa-LA-mat |
| How much is it? | Tagpila ni?tag-PI-la ni |
| Where is the bus terminal? | Asa ang bus terminal?a-SA ang bus TER-mi-nal |
| To Lake Apo, please | Paingon sa Lake Apopa-I-ngon sa Lake Apo |
| Excuse me / Sorry | Pasayloa kopa-say-LO-a ko |
| Can I pay by card? | Pwede ba card?PWE-de ba card |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Smile, handshake; 'po' to elders; avoid: Loud confrontation
- Beckoning: Palm down, wave; avoid: Palm up (used for animals)
- Invitations: Accept food offered or decline politely; avoid: Refusing bluntly
- Time: Expect 'Filipino time' socially; avoid: Lateness for flights and boats
- Churches: Covered clothes; avoid: Loud tours during Mass
Scams and watch-outs
- Rain Jun–Nov: roads to Lake Apo and cave trips can be muddy or called off.
- Agree tricycle fares and any waiting time before you get in; there are no meters.
- ATMs exist (PNB, BPI, BDO, Metro Bank, DBP) but carry cash for the lake and rural stops.
- Kasanaya Cave is not a walk-up attraction: you need a local guide and a light; check conditions before committing.
- Mobile data is patchy outside the poblacion.
Valencia is a small provincial city and most visits pass without incident, but crime and road conditions change: check current local advice before you go. The practical issues are rain, unlit rural roads and unmetered tricycle fares — keep bags zipped in crowds, use 911, and don't walk rural roads after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Valencia yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Lake Apo
- Bukidnon highland air
- Sayre Highway bus stop
- Kasanaya Cave
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Department of Tourism — Philippines: www.tourism.gov.ph/
- Wikivoyage: Valencia (Bukidnon), revision 5269760 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5269760
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
ValenciaValencia, Bukidnon
Paingon niini nga address, palihug
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- National emergency911
No embassies in Valencia; the nearest consulates and embassies are in Cagayan de Oro, Davao and Metro Manila.
Cebuano (Bisaya) is the everyday language here; English works in banks, malls and hotels.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/valencia-bukidnon). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.